Jochen Gartz - Magic Mushrooms Around the ... - preterhuman.net

a forest clearing between a creek and a marshlands
pond. In areas exposed to direct sunlight,
temperatures were significantly higher than they
were in surrounding areas, a phenomenon that
persisted during the fall season. Deer droppings
contributed to frequent fertilization of the area. The
fruiting bodies from the first batch of mushrooms
found in this location had stems of up to 8 1 /2 in.[!]
(21.5 cm) tall, due to very tall grass in the area. The
caps of the mushrooms were so tiny, that clear
identification of the species as Psilocybe
semilanceata was not immediately possible. Even
though a bluing reaction was present,
chromatography testing was needed to confirm the
species. Subsequent discoveries, however, yielded
samples that could be identified on the spot based
on their morphological characteristics. We were
able to collect 30 to 60 specimens at this location
every fall for three consecutive years.
Unfortunately, the location was destroyed soon
afterwards, due to man-made modifications to the
marshlands and construction of an access road.
During the same year, we discovered a
second location within about half a mile of the first
one. The area was very large, a former cow pasture
which had been grazed regularly. It was located
next to a creek that saturated the soil completely.
Today, sheep occasionally graze the area and deer
droppings are commonly found in the grass. Here,
Psilocybe semilanceata fruits in abundance. Each
fall season, the pasture is covered with hundreds of
fruiting bodies (see Figure 15, p. 23).
For three years, we returned to the area
three times each fall, and harvested a total of 2,800
mushrooms (ca. 140 g or 5 oz dry weight) at the
location. While some of the fruiting bodies could
be spotted easily on the grassy soil (see Figure 17)
the vast majority of the specimens were usually
concealed inside clumps of grass (see Figure 18).
When the weather is dry, Psilocybe
semilanceata is an easily recognizable species. The
fruiting bodies are extremely hygrophanous, which
is why the color of the caps changes to a dark olive
black-brown when the mushrooms are wet. Only a
close inspection of the gills and the crooked stems
enabled us to differentiate the wet mushrooms from
the Panaeolus species (see Chapter 3.3). Like many
other psychotropic mushroom species, a crucial
characteristic of
Psilocybe semilanceata is the blue discoloration
of parts of the cap and the lower half of the stem,
While the degree of discoloration is relatively
minor, it is particularly noticeable when the
mushrooms are wet. Fruiting bodies that are old
and wet may spontaneously develop transparent,
blue stains across their caps. On the other hand,
discoloration of the stems does not set in until the
fruiting bodies have been separated from the
mycelia for about 30 to 60 minutes. Even in areas
of abundant harvests, I have always found
mushrooms with bluish-green discoloration’s
alongside others that lacked this characteristic.
During the drying process, the blue coloration is
preserved, even though some fading may occur.
The historic descriptions of Psilocybe
semilanceata cited above are so detailed that I
cannot add any of better quality. In spite of many
opinions in the literature to the contrary, there is a
noticeable odor that emanates from damp fruiting
bodies that have been opened. This odor is similar
to, but weaker than the one associated with
Psilocybe bohemica, which is often described as
reminiscent of radishes or poppies, but as
generally not unpleasant (also see Chapter 3.2).
In addition, the mushrooms have another
special attribute that rarely occurs in other
species. Under the light of a quartz lamp,
Psilocybe semilanceata specimens turn
fluorescent. The substance responsible for this
phenomenon, however, has not yet been
identified.
Accounts of Impressive Experiences
Psilocybe semilanceata is quite likely the
most potently psychoactive mushroom among the
European species. The impressive nature and
rapid onset of the effects are reflected in the
description of an intoxication from England cited
above. These elements are also part of the
following account, which details a mycologist's
first self-experiment:
After ingesting 1.3 g (less than onesixteenth
of an ounce) of dried and pulverized
mushrooms (30 mushrooms total) in water on an
empty stomach, 20 minutes passed before the
sudden onset of hallucinatory effects, including a
heavy flow of tears. The apparitions are best
described as a conjunction of visions and